Beneficiaries can get greater protections, value, and care in the Medicare services they receive through the proposed policies released today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The 2015 Advance Notice and draft Call Letter takes important steps to improve payment accuracy for Medicare Advantage (Part C) for 2015. The proposed changes for 2015 are smaller than those implemented in 2014 – a year in which CMS expects to exceed its 5 percent enrollment growth projection in Medicare Advantage for 2014.

Since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, Medicare Advantage premiums have fallen by 10 percent and enrollment has increased by nearly 33 percent to an all-time high of approximately 15 million beneficiaries. Today, nearly 30 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. Furthermore, enrollees are benefiting from greater quality as over half of enrollees are now in plans with 4 or more stars, a significant increase from 37 percent of enrollees in such plans in 2013. Read more